It isn’t typically that loyalty applications are absolutely reborn, and it is ever rarer for a lot of the adjustments to look principally constructive with out a lot in the best way of a devaluation.
The final time one thing of this scale occurred was when Air Canada introduced its Aeroplan loyalty program in-house and absolutely revamped it from (mainly) scratch.
Right here we’re, 5 years later, and Alaska Airways is out with its long-awaited new loyalty program, Atmos Rewards. This program combines the previous Mileage Plan and HawaiianMiles applications. With it comes an all-new premium bank card — the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit score Card — in addition to a slew of adjustments for present members of each legacy applications.
We have already coated the fundamentals of Atmos Rewards (which kicks in Wednesday for Mileage Plan members and Hawaiian flyers who linked their accounts to Mileage Plan and on Oct. 1 for everybody else), however now it is time to dive deeper into the adjustments — and why there seems to be heaps to like.
Incomes factors and standing your method
That is maybe probably the most attention-grabbing side of the brand new Atmos Rewards program: Starting subsequent yr, you can select a observe for incomes each factors (previously referred to as miles) and standing factors.
The three tracks are distance flown, value paid and segments flown.
You will solely be allowed to alter your observe annually, so you will have to forecast your flying patterns many months at a time to find out what works finest for you. In fact, the satan will lie within the particulars and your specific state of affairs.
The space observe awards 1 level and 1 standing level for each mile flown. (It wasn’t instantly clear if there can be a bonus for premium-cabin bookings.)
The value paid observe affords 5 factors and 5 standing factors for each greenback spent on base airfare, together with upgrades bought to premium cabins, nevertheless it excludes different ancillary charges, like checked baggage.
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In the meantime, the segments flown observe affords 500 factors and 500 standing factors for each phase flown — ultimate for these often touring on low cost flights shorter than 500 miles, resembling inside California, inside Alaska and between Hawaiian islands.
It’s an unprecedented transfer for U.S. airline loyalty applications to present flyers the choice to select the observe for incomes miles and standing. Higher but, preserving a distance-flown observe in 2026 brings again recollections of the glory days of strategic mileage operating throughout the most important U.S. airways.
Alaska would be the solely U.S. airline to supply a distance-only observe to standing and mileage incomes, and maximizers — myself included — ought to be grateful.
Earn standing through award journey
Incomes standing credit score from award journey is a perk that Alaska first launched in 2025, and it will be included as a part of the revamped Atmos Rewards program, too.
You will earn standing factors based mostly on the observe you choose.
- Distance: 1 standing level for each mile flown on an award redemption
- Spend: 5 standing factors for each $1 spent buying flights
- Segments: 500 standing factors for every award phase flown
That is nice information for many who often redeem miles with Atmos Rewards. Delta and United additionally supply this perk (however sadly, American does not). Though it will be sooner to accrue standing from income tickets, a minimum of you will be placing your miles to work whenever you make a redemption — each for the award flight itself and to assist engender future loyalty to Alaska.
Worthwhile premium card
The cardboard is designed for international journey, and I like its distinctive spend multiplier and profitable World Companion Award.
There are two variations of the World Companion Award: a 25,000-point award earned for brand spanking new account spending and after every card anniversary, and a 100,000-point award earned after spending $60,000 or extra in a card anniversary yr.
These certificates can be utilized to low cost the redemption for a companion award ticket by the worth of the certificates. As an example, should you’re reserving a 120,000-point award for you and a companion, you would redeem the 25,000-point award to show your second ticket right into a 95,000-point redemption.
It is nice that these certificates work on Alaska, Hawaiian and Alaska’s total community of world companions in any class of service. As a frequent redeemer of long-haul business-class awards with Alaska, this perk alone could possibly be price selecting up the cardboard.
Plus, one of many card’s bonus multipliers is 3 factors per greenback on international purchases — making it the one card with such a profitable multiplier for international transactions. For that purpose alone, I am going to probably choose up the cardboard simply to place it to make use of after I’m touring.
The cardboard additionally features a waiver for the pesky $25 round-trip accomplice reserving charges, which I incur each time I make a non-Alaska or non-Hawaiian redemption. (I’ve racked up lots of of {dollars} price of those charges over time.) Whereas it would be nice if Alaska simply dropped these charges fully, a minimum of utilizing the cardboard will do this for me.
There are many different perks with the cardboard. For me, the very best side of this card is that it is designed each for many who fly Alaska and for everybody else who may not be based mostly on the West Coast however enjoys incomes and redeeming factors with the service.
I am based mostly in New York Metropolis and fly Alaska solely a few instances a yr, however I’ll definitely be signing up for the cardboard. That is a giant win for this system and the executives who designed it.
Localization and globalization
One of many greatest unanswered questions of the Hawaiian Airways takeover has lengthy been how Alaska will preserve the Hawaiian id throughout the mixed service.
We’re beginning to get a glimpse of that with plane deployment technique, new liveries and, now, the loyalty program.
Whereas Atmos Rewards will mix the 2 applications, Alaska will nonetheless supply localized aptitude by what it is calling Atmos Communities. I like this idea and suppose it is an effective way for loyalty applications to make sure they are not confined to a one-size-fits-all mannequin.
The Atmos Communities will comprise present teams distinctive to members inside a selected space of residence, just like the Huakaʻi by Hawaiian for Hawaii residents and Membership 49 for residents of the state of Alaska; it additionally contains new interest-based teams for many who journey with households, embrace wellness and extra.
The 4 new communities coming in 2026 embody:
- World Locals: designed for many who dwell overseas and need a sooner path to standing
- Culinary Journies: designed for foodies who wish to earn bonus factors to go to foodie locations
- Energetic Escapes: designed for members who wish to earn bonus factors for visiting outdoor-focused locations
- Households On the Go: designed for households who need “considerate extras” to make household journey extra inexpensive
This program is not absolutely fleshed out but, except for the present communities which can be already dwell. That mentioned, I am excited to see what Alaska does right here, particularly as a result of the promise of interest-based advantages is a singular and revolutionary new method so as to add some personalization to a loyalty program.
Free international upgrades
Alaska introduced that its top-tier Atmos Titanium members will get pleasure from complimentary, day-of-departure upgrades into international enterprise class for them and a companion with out requiring factors or a certificates. Moreover, subsequent spring, standing holders and one companion can benefit from complimentary upgrades on Hawaiian flights inside North America.
Alaska is spinning this as a singular perk of top-tier standing (no different U.S. airline permits free international upgrades with none certificates) and a few aviation insiders will rapidly reward this transfer.
I far choose to substantiate my long-haul upgrades nicely earlier than the day of departure — a lot in order that until my standby improve is a shoo-in, I am trying into backup choices.
That is nice information for top-tier standing members who’re prepared to threat it, nevertheless it does not do a lot for me. I might far choose certificated and confirmed upgrades for top-tier elite members.
Free Starlink Wi-Fi
Alaska introduced that it will carry free Starlink Wi-Fi throughout each the Alaska and Hawaiian fleet all through 2026 and into early 2027. Hawaiian’s Airbus jets already function Starlink, nevertheless it’ll be nice to see the service outfit the remainder of the Hawaiian fleet (sans Boeing 717) and all the Alaska fleet, together with regional jets, with Starlink.
Free entry can be granted for Atmos Rewards members — no elite standing required.
Starlink is already among the many finest inflight web suppliers, so it is nice to see Alaska rolling this profit out extra broadly with the launch of Atmos Rewards.
Companion reserving charges
One of the crucial irritating components of the Alaska loyalty program is the pesky accomplice redemption charges, which whole $25 for round-trip tickets bought on non-Alaska or Hawaiian steel.
Companion awards are positively pricey for Alaska, however Alaska can be the one main airline within the U.S. to levy further charges (outdoors of government-mandated taxes) for accomplice redemptions.
Whereas it is not technically a devaluation since these charges existed within the former program, Atmos Rewards will cross alongside the identical accomplice reserving price as earlier than. The excellent news is that the Atmos Rewards Summit card features a accomplice reserving price waiver, and as a heavy redeemer of Alaska miles, I am going to simply make up the $395 annual price simply in accomplice reserving waivers.
More durable to earn standing
This one is undeniably a devaluation. In 2026, the thresholds for incomes top-tier Atmos Platinum (previously MVP Gold 75K) and Atmos Titanium (previously MVP Gold 100K) will improve. The previous would require 80,000 standing factors, up from the present 75,000, whereas the latter will soar to 135,000 standing factors, up from 100,000.
Alaska will give Platinum and Titanium elite members who earn standing in 2025 a head begin to soften the blow in 2026. The previous will obtain 5,000 standing factors, and the latter will get a 20,000 standing level bonus.
In fact, making it more durable to earn standing is a bummer. However the excellent news is that spending on the brand new Atmos Rewards Summit card will earn standing at an accelerated charge in comparison with the present Alaska visa card. I might think about most top-tier elite members will wish to choose up the cardboard to assist shut the hole to standing.
Nonetheless, greater thresholds are by no means enjoyable, so watch out for this one.
Wild card: Redemption charges
Let’s face it: Till now, Alaska has been a West Coast-focused airline with an above-average loyalty program that helped the airline attraction to many people within the factors and miles world. With Hawaiian, the airline is (actually) spreading its wings throughout the globe, and one would possibly anticipate that this elevated attain and relevance could be met with much less profitable redemption charges.
Fortunately, Alaska states that “the worth of factors doesn’t change, and factors don’t expire.” The airline can be dedicated to preserving the construction of the accomplice award chart in place with the brand new program, Alaska executives informed TPG. “Broadly talking, the best way we have structured [award charts] round distance, it really works,” Brett Catlin, vice chairman of loyalty, alliances and gross sales, defined.
On the floor, this sounds implausible, particularly for these of us who speculatively transferred tons of Amex factors to Hawaiian (after which to Alaska) earlier than that loophole ended.
However as we have seen again and again from loyalty applications, accomplice awards particularly are amongst each the most well-liked redemptions for the maximizers amongst us and the most costly for the award program.
I’ve no inside data telling me in any other case, but when I have been a betting man, I might say that Alaska’s present award charges aren’t right here to remain for the lengthy haul. They’re already decrease in lots of instances than the competitors; Alaska probably cannot maintain these charges endlessly if it needs to maximise income and decrease excellent legal responsibility (within the type of unredeemed factors) from its loyalty program.
Even Catlin mentioned that “there are at all times nuances [in pricing], and it’s important to revisit now and again.”
For now, I might depend this one as growing — however a minimum of there’s loads of different excellent news packed into Atmos Rewards.
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